| Product Type and Application Fit | Sealant chemistry and intended use | Product selection should match the application, such as silicone, polyurethane, polysulfide, acrylic, anaerobic, or thread-sealing compound. Confirm compatibility with the substrate, temperature, moisture, chemicals, and movement requirements. | Review the technical data sheet, safety data sheet, application guide, substrate-compatibility report, and project-specific sample results. | 12% | Critical |
| Quality Management | Manufacturing process control | A documented quality management system should be in place. ISO 9001 certification is a useful baseline when the certificate scope covers the relevant manufacturing activities. | Check the certificate validity, certification scope, issuing body, internal inspection procedures, nonconformity records, and corrective-action process. | 10% | Required |
| Raw Material Control | Incoming-material consistency | Critical raw materials should have defined specifications, approved sources, lot identification, incoming inspection, and traceability from raw material to finished batch. | Audit supplier-approval procedures, certificates of analysis, incoming inspection records, storage controls, and batch traceability documents. | 10% | Required |
| Physical Performance | Consistency of core properties | Verify appearance, density, nonvolatile content, viscosity or slump, skin formation or curing time, hardness, tensile strength, elongation, and adhesion according to the product type and applicable specification. | Compare current batch test reports with the technical data sheet and independently test pre-shipment or production samples. | 12% | Critical |
| Joint Movement and Elasticity | Movement capability and recovery | For architectural and construction sealants, verify movement capability and adhesion under cyclic movement. ASTM C920 is commonly used for elastomeric joint sealants; the correct class and use designation must be selected for the project. | Review classification, movement-cycling results, adhesion-in-peel results, and project-specific mock-up testing. | 10% | Application-Dependent |
| Adhesion and Compatibility | Bond strength and substrate compatibility | The compound should maintain adhesion to the specified substrates after water exposure, heat aging, and other relevant conditioning. Primers should be specified where required. | Conduct adhesion-in-peel or tensile-adhesion testing on actual substrates, including coated metals, glass, concrete, plastics, and painted surfaces when applicable. | 12% | Critical |
| Durability and Environmental Resistance | Resistance to service conditions | Evaluate resistance to UV exposure, temperature cycling, humidity, water immersion, salt spray, oils, fuels, acids, alkalis, or solvents according to the intended service environment. | Review accelerated-aging data and conduct exposure testing using the actual sealant, substrate, and joint design. Do not rely only on generic laboratory data. | 10% | Critical |
| Technical Standards | Compliance with applicable standards | Standards may include ASTM C920 for elastomeric joint sealants, ASTM C1184 for structural silicone sealants, ISO 11600 for building construction joint sealants, or relevant Chinese GB/T and JG/T requirements. The standard must match the application. | Verify the exact standard edition, test method, product classification, laboratory report, and whether the report applies to the supplied formulation. | 10% | Required |
| Laboratory Capability | Testing competence and equipment | The supplier should have calibrated equipment for viscosity, density, curing, hardness, tensile properties, adhesion, aging, and appearance inspection. ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation is preferred for independent laboratory testing. | Review equipment lists, calibration certificates, laboratory procedures, test-method validation, technician qualifications, and external laboratory arrangements. | 8% | Preferred |
| Batch-to-Batch Stability | Variation control | Production batches should remain within approved specification limits for color, viscosity, density, curing behavior, and mechanical properties. Retained samples should be available for investigation. | Examine statistical process-control charts, release records from at least three recent batches, retained-sample policy, and complaint-related trend reports. | 8% | Required |
| Packaging and Shelf Life | Container integrity and storage stability | Packaging should protect the compound from moisture, contamination, and premature curing. Shelf life, storage temperature, lot number, production date, and expiration date should be clearly stated. | Inspect packaging samples, label information, transport requirements, shelf-life test data, warehouse conditions, and first-in-first-out controls. | 4% | Required |
| Regulatory and Safety Compliance | Chemical disclosure and restricted substances | Safety data should comply with the applicable hazard-communication requirements. Confirm VOC, restricted substances, and regional requirements such as REACH, RoHS, or project-specific green-building criteria where relevant. | Review the current safety data sheet, technical data sheet, composition or restricted-substance declaration, VOC report, and transport classification. | 4% | Required |
| Technical Support | Application engineering capability | The supplier should provide joint-design guidance, surface preparation instructions, primer recommendations, curing conditions, troubleshooting support, and on-site or remote technical assistance. | Request a written application proposal, response-time commitment, installation training materials, and a sample failure-analysis report. | 5% | Preferred |
| Production and Supply Reliability | Capacity, lead time, and continuity | Evaluate documented production capacity, realistic lead times, backup equipment, raw-material continuity, export experience, and contingency planning for urgent or recurring orders. | Review production schedules, capacity statements, delivery performance records, business-continuity plans, and agreed minimum safety-stock requirements. | 5% | Important |